Virtual school set to open

CHINO HILLS - The school formerly known as Los Serranos Elementary will soon open as Chino Valley Unified's first online school.

Enrollment began Thursday for the district's new Alternative Education Center which opens Aug. 30 as a way to better serve students who may succeed academically outside of a traditional high school environment.

It's also a way for the district to eventually recapture lost state attendance funds as a result of a loss of students who have been moved to similar schools outside the district.

The school's "virtual school" model of instruction utilizes an online curriculum that students will access via the Web from home and on a personalized schedule.

"I feel the school can help us in a number of ways take care of these students who need an alternate way of dealing with learning and it will also hopefully attract students from other districts," said Chino Valley Unified Superintendent Wayne Joseph.

Among the types of students expected to attend are those who have had problems earning credits in traditional high school, students who have busy athletic or entertainment schedules, and students who learn better at home on their own time.

"This is forward thinking," said Preston Carr, director of alternative education for CVUSD. "We believe every child in this decade will have some type of online class. This is how they learn. It's cutting edge. This is the future."

The school breaks down into three areas of alternative instruction, including a virtual high school taught by district teachers; home-based education for K-8 students; and an independent study program designed for high school students who need to recapture credits and work better independently of the traditional school schedule format.

Enrollment in the first semester is planned to be limited in order to fine-tune the program, Carr said. As a pilot program only 33 students will be enrolled in the virtual high school program, 28 for the K-8 home-based study, and about 270 independent study high school students. Budget for the year is about $450,000.

Expansion is expected to create more district revenue in the future, as Carr said enrollment for the virtual high school would increase substantially. He said the future could see alternative education enrollment of about 198 virtual high school students, about 300 students in the home-based program, and 1,200 to 1,500 students in the independent study program.

Carr and teachers at the school said students will be accountable for their work. They will be required to come in more than once a week and meet with teachers to get help in course work they may not understand on their own. Credibility will be key, said virtual school teacher Mary Hancock.

"The thing is everybody is worried about how we can ensure these kids are actually doing their work," Hancock said. "So the students are going to have to come here and have proctored exams."

The Alternative Education Center is at the former Los Serranos site, 15650 Pipeline Ave. Information: www.chino.k12.ca.us.